Most iPhones sold around the world are assembled in China, even though they are designed by Apple in California. Xiaomi seeks to be the brand that would demonstrate the country's design capabilities and wants to shake off its reputation as an Apple copy.
China may be the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, but the country wants to stop being known as the country to go for outsourcing deals and knockoff businesses.
The company that is at the forefront of this revolution is Xiaomi Corp. A young, four-year-old company located in Beijing, Xiaomi wants to stop being known as the "world's best iPhone copycat" as well. The company wants its products to showcase Chinese capabilities in design and innovation.
The company did exceptionally well in 2014. Earlier this month, Xioami reported that it was able to achieve a staggering sales figure of 61 million handset units in 2014. Instead of being lauded, many said that the company's success comes from just copying Apple devices and then selling these off in cheaper prices.
The company's co-founder and CEO Lei Jun cannot take this criticism sitting down. According to Lei, Xiaomi extensively used in-house innovation and fostered a unique relationship with its customers to achieve this remarkable feat.
"We have to consistently focus on product innovation, emphasize making friends with our users, and strive to produce high-quality, high-performance devices which ensure great user experience," he said.
The CEO also wants the public to know that the company has been so successful that it has become a victim of copyright violations as well, putting it in the same boat as Apple.
"Currently, the level of research and imitation of Xiaomi's model by industry peers is as detailed as studying pixels in a picture," Lei said.